The other night I was enjoying a lovely dinner on my patio with two friends who have grown sons. They talked about the struggles their sons encountered in high school with their education and with determining what to do after high school.
My friend’s son was lucky enough to have a teacher who saw how he struggled with in traditional education system. The teacher suggested they consider enrolling him in a vocational school. At first my friend was not open to this idea as they ~ like most parents ~ dreamed of college for their son. His grades and his demeanor convinced them to give it a try. He enrolled in a vocational school allowing him to attend afternoon classes, after a morning at the high school. They immediately saw his mood improve and he seemed to thrive as well as gain self-confidence. At his graduation ceremony, her son walked into the auditorium and his grandmother asked her why her grandson had a red rope draped around his neck, my friend replied, somewhat jokingly, it was likely not for his grades. As it turned out, she was wrong – her son had achieved academic success through his vocational studies. She was pleasantly surprised and pleased they made the unexpected, yet correct, shift in his education plan. Her son now works as a CNC machinist and is currently enrolled to become a CNC programmer. He loves the path he chose.
My other friend’s son, is working as a waiter with a degree in public relations after 5 years of paying for courses at an accredited university. Stay tuned since I know we’ll have a success story about him soon!